First Steps
by WinterSky101's Old Stuff
Summary: Iggy takes his first real, unaided steps after the experiment. Max is there to help him. Sweet little bit of Max/Iggy fluff. Takes place right after they escape from the School.


**Me: Sweet little tidbit of family fluff.**

**Iggy: You make me so sappy.**

**Me: You're not sappy. You're a troubled little kid.**

**Iggy: *sighs***

**Disclaimer: Don't own MR.**

"I can't do it, Max."

"Yes you can, Iggy. Just keep walking."

"Max, I can't!" Iggy's tone sounded like a little kid. Not that he was that old, only ten. His face was filled with fear. Max's heart softened.

"Just put your hands out. I won't let you crash, I promise."

Iggy put his hand out and felt his fingers graze the wall. He took a shaky step forward. "Where's the wall?"

"Not for another five steps. Maybe six. You'll be fine, Ig. I won't let you walk into the wall."

Iggy took another shaky step and put his other hand out in front of him. He took another small step, then another one with more confidence. His next step was bigger and he looked a bit more sure of himself. Then he felt his balance go off. Max just managed to catch him before he fell flat on his face.

"See! I can't do it!" Iggy yelled. "I can't, Max! I'm useless! I can't do anything! You should have left me at the School."

"Never say that!" Max nearly snarled. Iggy shrank back slightly and backed into the wall behind him. "We wouldn't leave you, Iggy," she added, her voice softer. "I don't care if you have trouble, you're family. We wouldn't leave you."

Iggy's shoulders shook with silent tears as he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. "M-Max, you don't know what it's like."

"Then tell me!" Max replied, sitting next to the boy. "Tell me, Iggy. You need to tell someone."

"I-I don't even know, Max. It's so new." Iggy's voice trailed off and Max knew both of them were thinking of the same thing: the first time Max saw Iggy without his sight…

"_We're not leaving him, Jeb!" Max hissed. Jeb looked annoyed, but his eyes were sad. Almost the entire flock was standing around them. Max had two-year-old Angel on her hip and Fang was holding Gazzy's little hand. His eyes were looking up at Jeb with a look only a three year old can manage: unconditional trust. Nudge's small brown hand was in Max's larger pale hand._

"_We can't go there and hope to still get out undetected," Jeb protested. "Iggy's in the recovery room from his surgery."_

"_What surgery?" Max demanded. Jeb sighed._

"_I can't tell you, Max. But we need to go now or we'll be stuck here."_

"_We're not leaving Iggy." Max firmly planted her feet down and stood in the middle of the hallway. Angel's expression was determined, a funny look on her little face. It was obvious that the rest of the flock wasn't planning on moving either. Jeb sighed and pulled out his key ring._

"_We'll get him."_

_The entire flock immediately brightened up and followed Jeb. They reached a reinforced door. Max jiggled the handle. "Locked," she declared. Jeb pushed past her gently and unlocked the door._

"_He's over there in the corner. We have a minute at the most before someone comes over here to check on the room. We need to be out by then." Max nodded and slipped into the room, passing little Angel over to Fang, who held her slightly awkwardly against his chest._

_Max's almost-silent footsteps crept across the floor as she went over to Iggy's still body. "Ig?" she asked quietly. Iggy jumped._

"_M-Max? Is that you?"_

_Max felt a worry nag at her heart. "Of course it is, silly. Don't you see me?"_

"_How could I see you?" Iggy asked. "The lights are off. It's pitch black."_

_Max frowned. "The lights are on, Ig. It's bright."_

_Iggy shook his head. "No. It's dark, it's really dark. I can't see anything. I can't see, Max. I can't see anything."_

_Max felt her heartstrings tug. "Iggy, it's not the lights. It's you."_

"_What do you mean?" the pale boy asked, his blue eyes wide._

"_Iggy, I think you're blind."_

_Iggy's eyes went even wider and his body shook. "N-no. That…that…" The boy's breathing hitched. "That's not possible. The whitecoats said they'd make my night vision better. They couldn't have messed up that much!"_

_Max shook her head sadly, even though Iggy couldn't see it. "I'm sorry, Iggy, but I think you're blind. I don't know how long it'll last though. It might be quick. It might go away…" Max's voice trailed off. They both knew she was only saying that to keep hope alive. Iggy was blind and they both knew it. A tear slid down Iggy's white face._

_Max took Iggy's arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. She supported the shaky mutant as they left the room. As they passed Jeb, Max glared at him._

"_Iggy's blind."_

Iggy's shoulders were shaking more violently. Max put both arms around the boy as he cried into her shoulder. The salt water stained her new shirt, but she didn't care. Iggy needed someone to be there for him. She could be that someone.

Iggy slowly lifted his face off of Max's soaked shirt. "S-sorry," he muttered hoarsely. Max smiled, even though Iggy couldn't see it.

"There's nothing to forgive. Now, get up and move!"

Iggy slowly got up. His right arm skimmed the wall again and his left arm extended outward. He took two more steps.

"Turn left," Max said quietly. Iggy did. "Three steps." Iggy took three small steps forward. "Open the door." Iggy's left hand went down. He felt around until he found the doorknob. He turned it and gently pushed the door open. He took a step inside.

"You did it!" Max said happily. A smile spread across Iggy's face. He had made it to his room! He had finally been able to walk all the way to his room! Who knew all he needed was Max's help?

"No, Max," he replied. "We did it."

**Me: AWW!**

**Iggy: Sigh.**


End file.
